Charging Batteries

[Stuart M]

My rib is on a pontoon mooring with 240v power nearby. I would like to rig up a trickle charger system to keep the batteries (2) topped up all the time.

I wouldn't then have to worry that the batteries had gone flat running the bilge etc

What would I need and how would I wire it up?

The current setup has the usual battery switch which allows Off, 1,2 and both.

Any ideas welcome..

[Nos4r2]

Something like this would do the job.

It's a shame the optimate for bike batteries isn't capable of doing the job on a bigger battery.

[Rogue Wave]

http://www.merlinequipment.com/prod_range.cfm?cat_id=41

also are a usedul company


I bet you 5 metre ribtec must be quite a handful with a 225 opti

[jwalker]

Ideally, if using a non-marine charger, as well as the positive you need to disconnect the battery negative from the engine and equipment because the engine will be ground to the sea and the charger will also have a ground connection. The chance of them being at the same potential is small so a current will flow between them and, according to Sod's law, there may (will) be errosion of some part of your equipment, probably the engine or its anodes. Remember, mains neutral is strapped to mains earth so even if you use a double insulated type of product there is still a ground connection. And, depending where (physically) it is strapped to earth and the other equipment in the vicinity which is connected to the mains, there is already likely to be a potential difference between the neutral and the sea (as earth).

Having said all that, a few months ago I bought a new 16amp auto charger sold under the Ring brand and it has proved to be excellent. It pumps the battery up very quickly and looks after it too. I also have a small Ring charger which is automatic but its maximum current is 4amps and on a largish battery it gets confused and just keeps charging at 4amps rather than shutting down to a trickle.
Neither of these have been used to charge batteries while at sea so it's purely a comment about the chargers.

[Stuart M]

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

[
I bet you 5 metre ribtec must be quite a handful with a 225 opti

You bet! - Guess I better change my profile Stuart! - Great boat BTW - very pleased so different to the 5.6 Avon although that was (still is) a lovely boat.

[Stuart M]

Originally Posted by jwalker

Ideally, if using a non-marine charger, as well as the positive you need to disconnect the battery negative from the engine and equipment because the engine will be ground to the sea and the charger will also have a ground connection.

I guess another battery switch on the negative would do that?

[jwalker]

You can get battery terminals which snap on/off. It's a lever mechanism. I think Plastimo supplied the ones I have.